


when the underworld falls quiet

by ItAintNoThang



Category: Splatoon
Genre: Hero Mode (Splatoon), M/M, Squidbeak Splatoon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:15:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27276292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItAintNoThang/pseuds/ItAintNoThang
Summary: Agent 3 is a linear man. How exactly can an Inkling so cold warm up to the one thing he hates the most in his world?
Relationships: Agent 3 & Agent 8 (Splatoon), Agent 3/Agent 8 (Splatoon), Agent 8 - Relationship
Comments: 4
Kudos: 39





	1. deep dark hall

**3 months ago…**

Agent 3 was running his way through his usual patrol under the Octo Valley. The screens above gave the simple allusion of the day, however, the agent knew that it was an illusion. It had been a slow day of simply checking around the lush forested areas to see if there were any octolings trying to sneak their way into the surface...which was a rare occurrence, but the precaution still needed to be taken regardless.

“Ayo captain, where do I have to check next again…?” Agent 3 spoke into the small red mic which was usually attached to his Hero Jacket. Captain Cuttlefish had specifically asked Agent 3 to check around a certain area around the valley that the agent wasn’t familiar with, since he had been told it was simply rocks and grass...or so Agent 3 heard.

“Down by that waterfall bucko! There should be a steep cliff leading down near the lake… I thought I saw some weird figures walking along the river…” Captain Cuttlefish spoke, trying to recall what he saw near the lake. “I’ll be down there in no time to see what you find!” 

Agent 3 heard the noise from his headpiece fall silent as the captain hung up on him.

_Ugh, old man’s always ditching me in tight situations...a steep cliff? What if I fall?_

Agent 3 looked out onto the horizon to get a glimpse at the waterfall which fell off of the gigantic octopus-shaped rock that sat on the very top of the mountain. The seemingly completely natural formation of a giant octopus rock in Octo Valley was always strange to Agent 3. However, he quickly fell onto the grassy terrain below him into his lime-colored squid formation to super jump to the next area over, which was much closer to the mountain. 

Before striking the ground below, he switched back into his human form to perform a smooth landing, as to not cause a painful crash if he had stayed as a flimsy squid. He felt the change in texture beneath his shoes almost instantly from smooth dirt to… very jagged rocks. There was moss and stone everywhere, and the sound of the crashing waterfall only contributed to the already overwhelming area. The entire place almost seemed...untouched somehow, by the high tech of the Octarian Army.

Agent 3 moved to adjust his headgear and looked around him to check for any enemies or creatures around him, however he saw nothing. He gripped onto his Hero Shot with two hands and began walking the opposite direction of the crashing waterfall to see if he could spot any sort of crafts or outposts but...nothing. As the young agent's eyes darted around the relatively wooded area for any sign of movement or life, he spotted a trail.

_A trail…? It just seems like paved dirt…_

Agent 3 hesitated before grabbing his red mic once more and held it up to his mouth. He had to work quickly so that he could determine if the area was safe or not before the captain arrived. The area was filled with trees and noise, so the inkling’s senses were hindered quite a bit, he needed to act sharp...and with caution.

“Captain, I found this er-uh… trail? No sign of any Octarians though, I’m gonna go down it.”

Agent 3 placed his mic back into his clasp and looked back at the trail. I seemed to just be run down dirt, but it was clear that it was quite old and the agent had no idea on whether it was even worth checking or not. He breathed in, then allowed a heavy sigh to slip through.

_If I gotta go through getting my ass beat today, I’m throwing myself in the lake._

Agent 3 quickly gripped his Hero Shot and began his descent into the more wooded area, stomping down the dirt path. He pushed his way through the many leaves that hung from the trees above him. The sheer amount of forestation was blocking his view quite a bit, and making it much harder to see. Inklings' eyes developed a mask-like appearance some time ago once they reached the surface to block out the light, meaning that Agent 3 was simply not developed to see well in the dark.

Simply running and running...This was getting too easy for the agent. After what felt like ages of just leaves and wet grass to the agent, he reached the end of the path...And it led to nothing. Agent 3 began looking around, left and right for any sign of life, and still...nothing? The agent was so sure he just might be able to find something interesting in this remote area.

Agent 3 grunted and kicked a rock on the ground and began pacing forwards once again.

“Are you kidding? All this was for- UAHHH” 

Agent 3 screamed in surprise as he nearly tripped down what looked to be a completely pitch black pit in the ground. 

Agent 3 stood with his mouth agape, awing at the sight of the deep dark wells below him. He just nearly fell off too! What a move.

“How the HELL did I not see that?” Agent 3 exclaimed frustrated, gripping onto his jacket for dear life. He recoiled and fell onto his back and climbed himself a healthy distance away from the large pit just a few centimeters away from him. Agent 3 stood, panting out of shock with his hands roughly placed onto his knees as he grabbed for his mic. As he reached for his red microphone, he couldn’t help but peer down into the hole again. It was completely empty… Like it was a gateway… Or maybe just the end.

“Pant- Captain -sigh, I found… pant… A huge crater here -pant, pant, come check it out.” Agent 3 continued to try and catch his breath as he placed his mic behind himself. He stood up straight and dusted the dirt off of his shorts. 

He grabbed his Hero Shot and examined around himself, waiting for the Captain to arrive… But the more he waited, the more sweat he worked up. He peered closely at the trees and bushes surrounding him, since the captain couldn’t exactly super jump the way he used to, he would probably end up walking there by himself… Which is why Agent 3 needed to be careful not to shoot his boss instead of what he thinks is some octo-creep. Agent 3 nodded to himself.

Agent 3 glanced at the deep hole in the ground once more.

And he absolutely cannot let the Captain fall down the bottomless pi-

“AHHHHGGG! AGENT 3! GET IT! ITS FOLLOWING ME!”

Agent 3 jumped as he heard a brain melting scream from directly behind him. He swiftly turned around to find out whoever was making a fuss...and it was the Captain. He was holding his Bamboozler in one hand and his cane in the other as he came out from the bushes.

He suddenly witnessed Captain Cuttlefish sprinting towards him as fast as he possibly could, flailing about like a fish out of water. And right behind him was…

Wait…

A pale figure peered from behind the bushes to make eye contact with Agent 3. It appeared to have bright red tentacles, along with a million mile stare...looking directly at Agent 3. It appeared wary and covered in some sort of dirt or leaves, like a tree had come alive.

Agent 3 squinted his eyes to try and get a better look at the ghostly humanoid...However it kept stepping closer and closer towards the agent. With every step the thing took, the stiffer Agent 3 became. 

And as Agent 3 gazed onto the enemy’s head...He saw suckers

Red hair with suckers on the outside.

_It’s an Octoling! The Captain was right!_

“SPLAT IT THREE!” Captain Cuttlefish bellowed, still running towards him full speed. 

Agent 3 pointed his Hero Shot as carefully as he could as his target, and fired. Unfortunately, he squinted his eyes too soon.

\-------------------------------------------------------------

Agent 3 groaned as loud as his inkling vocals allowed him to.

“Ugh, Captain, Sir, can we please not do this right now?” Agent 3 pleaded.

Agent 3 fiddled with his own fingers as he felt the cold sweat on his forehead grow with each step he took on the cold hard concrete of the underground metro.

Captain Cuttlefish made the decision that he was finally going to make an attempt to allow the octoling and inkling to meet under less hostile circumstances… However 3 was still hesitant to come face to face with his all-time enemy. And not even just an enemy...One he tried to outright murder.

The metro was cold and vast, filled with broken glass and echoes of unfamiliar noises, Agent 3 dreaded even thinking about this place after his semi-sanitization. It was worse than the underground Octo-Valley, at least the valley was somewhat lively, this place was much more… artificial, and he couldn’t stand it.

“Now Agent 3...You never had this problem when you had to speak with Agent 4! I understand it might be awkward but…” Captain Cuttlefish began.

“That dude was an INKLING! He wasn’t an octopus! He was really annoying but he wasn’t part of the army I’ve been fighting for 2 years!” Agent 3 retorted.

Agent 3’s brows furrowed and he crossed his arms, stopping in his tracks. The last thing he needed was to make buddies with the killer race… Who knows what that thing is capable of? He looked away from the captain to face down onto his glowing shoes, he tried to think of a way to argue with Cuttlefish to get him out of this… It’s not like he had to actually meet him.

“He tried to kill me! You're not really serious about me having to talk to this guy are you!?” Agent 3’s voice cracked trying to speak, he was beginning to worry that his fate was already sealed.

Captain Cuttlefish turned around once more to face the young inkling. “You truly must get over this fear of yours, just because he is an Octoling does not mean he will harm you-” He spoke with a hint of anger in his tone, he was getting sick of trying to convince the agent that the Octoling was different, but it seemed like a lost cause.

“You're literally the one that made me fight them! What am I supposed to believe Captain?” Agent 3 shouted. His words echoed throughout the underground, he wanted to yell again, but it would have little meaning.

Agent 3 and Agent 8 had met three times before, however, all times were in the midst of some sort of battle. Agent 8 had saved Agent 3 from his sanitization through splatting him, even though the Octoling technically saved him and the captain, he still splatted him, which was enough for Agent 3 to stay weary. 

_I cant believe i got myself caught by that stupid telephone...And that octopus had to come get me!_

Agent 3 tried to remember the fight… however his memories were fuzzy and smudged, he simply could not recall the event. When the teal ink grabbed a hold of him, it was like he was falling, and when everything went cold he remembered wondering if this was death for him…The event was traumatizing, even for a seasoned agent like him, death was horrifying, and in that moment, death felt cold and sickening. 

The captain saw Agent 3’s eyes fall again onto the ground, he looked worried and scared more than he appeared angry just a second ago. 

“That octopus… why should I not be afraid of them?” Agent 3 asked, looking back up at Captain Cuttlefish. The agent stared intently, once again trying to grasp at his memories once more but to no avail. The captain remained silent as he kept on walking along with the agent, unaware as to how he may convince the boy…

“A fan of the Calamari Inkantation is a friend of mine.” Captain Cuttlefish spoke in a declaring and calm tone.

Agent 3 felt cold inside and out, he never thought he would have to make friends with his enemy. He began looking around the deep metro to take in all of the forgien details. The metro was entirely unlike Inkopolis, and there was almost no light to take in. There were strange posters and railings on every corner in a language that was seemingly ever changing. This place was absolutely desolate of the color and life of the surface he grew up in.

The two continued to walk down the deep dark hallways of the underworld, each step resulting in an echo that seeped into the ears of the two inklings relentlessly. 

Agent 3 was beginning to dread the atmosphere he created, and the sheer absence of any conversation was making him even more anxious. And yet he kept walking along, following the captain, waiting to reach the train where the octopus was seemingly living. 

As the silence continued, Agent 3 focused on the noise his shoes would make hitting the hard floor below. 

For a moment, it calmed him.

“Brrrr, Brrrr” 

It was the sound of a phone ringing. The sound has been coming directly from Captain Cuttlefish’s pocket. The captain reached into his green pocket and picked up the phone, he was receiving a call.

“Who is it…?” Agent 3 whispered, trying not to cause a large echo.

Captain Cuttlefish remained silent as he flipped open his phone to answer the call, putting it up to his ear. Agent 3 could hear a frantic feminine voice on the other side of the phone, they seemed panicked… however he couldn’t quite tell who it was. Agent 3 held his hands in the pockets of his bright yellow jacket as his eyes wandered the empty metro once more. 

“...Mhmm, I will be right there, Callie.” Captain Cuttlefish finally spoke to the other, who turned out to be the dim-witted Squid Sister, Callie.

The captain sighed and turned to face Agent 3. “What’s going on? Did Callie actually get lost again?” Agent 3 began to say, almost chuckling a bit.

“No, it seems as if Agent 4 sustained heavy injury and Marie is nowhere to be found…” Captain Cuttlefish stated.He gave a sigh and put his flip phone back into his pocket and began to turn around and walked the opposite way.

“I gotta head back up to help them! You gotta go on yourself bucko!” The captain shouted. As Captain Cuttlefish began to walk away, Agent 3 panicked. 

“What?! Wait! I don’t even know how to get there! C’mon, can I at least come with?” Agent 3 began to yell frantically at the captain desperately, he truly didn’t know the way to the train, so if the captain left him hanging he would be lost. Agent 3 tried to walk with the captain, but he stopped Agent 3 in his tracks.

“You will go on without me Agent! You’ll be fine, just follow the arrows.” Cuttlefish laughed as he continued walking. Agent 3 tried to argue once more but he choked on his words, full of anger once more. 

Frustration creeped onto him as he turned his hands into fists before swiftly turning to face the deep dark metro again. He’s seriously just gonna fucking leave me down here?! I don’t know the first thing about this place! Agent 3 thought to himself, borderline stomping his way down the hall. He took a look around, observing what he could in the dim lighting.

“You can do this yourself, agent!” Agent 3 heard the echoes of the captain’s voice bouncing off of the metro walls.

Look for arrows…?

Agent 3 tried to look about for any sign of direction, but that proved useless since it was much too dark. The place was basically concrete and empty space, only filled by a few posters, lights, and advertisements in a language he couldn’t even read.  
The boy could feel his cold sweat coming back as he was filled with anxiety. It’s just a metro right…? It couldn’t be that hard to navigate, he just has to… walk forward and figure it out.

Agent 3 walked on again, looking left and right frantically, trying to find his way to the station.

_Really...all this just to come face to face with some fucking octopus._

Agent 3 grunted again, thinking about the new agent stressed him out more than it really should. If it was an inkling it would be much different, but this guy was probably some crazy murder machine!

He angrily walked forward, still frustrated with the captain’s choice to leave him alone underground.

“As long as these lights work… I’ll be able to find my way, I think” Agent 3 thought out loud. He gripped his hero shot with two hands and began to jog. Staring intently at both walls before him as he moved, looking for any sign of direction or “arrows” as the captain described. As he ran by, he caught a glimpse of something… Something...red? And pointy!

 _An arrow! I might actually find my way through this bullshit!_ Agent 3 celebrated silently for a moment as he slowed down his speed. 

“Now that points to… left? So all I gotta do is take a left an-” Agent 3’s sentence was cut short by the noise of… some sort of powering down from a distance. Agent 3 shrugged it off for a second, however...

As the life of a cold, hard agent goes…

The light suddenly turned to darkness in an instant.

Agent 3’s pupils shrunk as the lumination was drained from the hall.

“Wai- Wait what the hell?” Agent 3 stopped in his tracks, trying to look around, this time he was truly in full panic mode.

The lights have gone out, and Agent 3 lost his vision instantly.

All Agent 3 could see directly were the small lights on his shoes and headgear...everything around him was pitch black, and he was completely lost. He couldn’t see a single thing, not even his hands were viable. 

Wait...maybe if he waited a while the lights could turn back on, it’s not impossible! 

Agent 3 began to crouch downwards, shaking slightly as he made his downwards movement. As he crouched he waited for...something to happen. If he stayed low, any oncoming enemies wouldn’t see him as well...And he wouldn’t trip and fall over something. He felt around the ground in hopes to find a switch or something to provide him with vision, but he found nothing below him.

Agent 3 suddenly felt frozen, the feeling of a cold, sharp pain from earlier was suddenly washing over him again. He gripped his face in fear, feeling his nose tingle.

If there was one thing the best agent on Squidbeak could not overcome, it was darkness. He could hear just fine...And he could feel around just as normal. But if he could not see...Then all hope was lost on him. Fear overcame the agent as he lost his grip on his Hero Shot. 

He pressed his back up against the cold wall and waited.

……..

He sat on the floor for god knows how long… An hour? A minute? A day? The agent in question seemed to lose track as he continued to hold his head to provide comfort to himself, which was a lifelong habit of his. 

“I can’t believe i’m lost down here…” Agent 3 whispered to keep himself company as he sat crouched on the cold hard floor of the metro. It’s useless to try and turn back now, there was no way he could find his way back in this darkness. 

All he could do was wait, or try and feel around for hope again. But all he could do was sit until someone found his puddle of ink washed over the floor.

Agent 3 shook his head and tried to crawl forward slightly. As he moved he positioned himself into a squatting stance to gain more mobility. He put his hands down on the freezing walls, trying to find a door or even another poster...Just to feel slightly more stable before he moved on with his fear.

He closed his eyes and closed his fists

_If I get outta here...I’ll kill that ol-_

…

_Clack...Clack_

Agent 3 quickly raised his head and pulled off his headset.

_Oh my god...are those footsteps?_

Agent 3 was beginning to pick up panic again. If someone came to him with intentions to attack...He would have absolutely no method of actually defending himself in the dark.

He shifted around to grab his Hero Shot, but it was nowhere to be found.

_Clack...Clack...Clack_

Those were definitely footsteps that the agent was hearing.

He frantically felt around for his weapon, but to no avail.

…………

It sounded like metal hitting the ground to the agent. It certainly couldn’t have been the captain, it sounded more like...a soldier marching down the deep dark hall.

With every echoing step Agent 3 heard, the marching grew louder.

_This is how I die_

_Clack...Clack_

It’s getting closer to him

_Clack...Clack…_

Agent 3’s mind raced, he felt his stomach churn with the threat of dry heaving in his throat

What will he do…?

What _COULD_ he do…!?

Agent 3 squinted his eyes.

………….

**Clack.**

It’s right next to him now.

He doesn’t have his weapon.

Agent 3 took a sharp breath of the icy air and blindly whipped himself off the floor, gazing into the nothing before him. The footsteps made it sound like the figure recoiled and backed away from the agent. 

_Shit, that thing can see me!_

“Get the FUCK away from me!” Agent 3 screamed.

It echoed into the halls of the underground, with no response for him.


	2. Chapter 2

The silence between Agent 3 and the strange creature approaching him remained after the echoing of Agent 3’s voice ceased. Agent 3 felt his breath pick up as he quickly walked backwards with his hand pressed against the wall, to assure that he did not fall backwards.

“What do you want?” Agent 3 spoke angrily out of fear. 

He could almost pick up the faint sound of steady breathing from the creature close to him. Despite Agent 3 yelling at it, it didn’t appear phased.

And it seemed as if it hadn’t moved an inch either.

The absence of sound was beginning to become too loud for Agent 3 to sustain. The sound of his own blood pounding on the inside of his head was enough to make him scream once more. 

And the truth was, Agent 3 usually loved the silence. He appreciated it much more when everyone around him was quiet, when the world was quiet. However, in this type of situation; A situation that could lead to him being squashed into squid pulp, was a little different for him. If his opponent did not speak, he didn’t know who they were. If they stopped walking, he couldn’t hear where they’re moving either. 

Agent 3 had just about had enough of the anticipation.

He closed his fist and got ready to slam it forward, directly in front of him. He raised his arm and took a stance, making sure he wasn’t about to break his fingers punching the wall.

“I swear! I’ll knock y-” 

……

Agent 3 felt a hand on his arm.

Agent 3 quickly ripped his arm out of its initial position to make the hand’s touch disappear. He took a small step backwards, taken aback by the sudden invasion of his space. He had no idea that the creature before him was _THAT_ close.

There was a moment of awkward tension.

….

“Are you the being unfound?” A voice came from directly in front of Agent 3.

Agent 3’s eyes widened, hearing the creature in front of him speak. He took another step backwards. He choked on whatever he was supposed to say, and just stood in his place.

What _WAS_ that?

That voice... and that accent...that accent is so thick!

Agent 3’s mind raced as he felt himself flush with either fear or shock. He had absolutely no idea how to respond to this...thing. He almost wanted to reach out to get a feel for himself what exactly was speaking to him.

It clearly had some idea as to speak his language, but...Agent 3 hardly understood a single word that it was trying to convey. It sounded like it had _just_ learned how to speak his language; and was not pulling it off well. Agent 3 sighed and itched his tentacles.

“Um..say that again?” Agent 3 said, trying to be slightly less nervous than before. The pitch black was still causing the agent to feel uneasy, since he still could not make out a single thing about this creature.

There was the sound of it's footsteps inching closer to Agent 3

Suddenly, it began to put its hands onto the agents shoulders and arms. It felt around until it reached Agent 3’s hand, which was similarly sized to it's. It held Agent 3’s hand softly for a brief moment, before the agent quickly broke it off, stunned by the sudden attention.

Agent 3 pulled away again, grimacing.

“I’m serious man! What the hell?” Agent 3 said a bit quieter this time.

The creature took a moment to respond, as if he was processing Agent 3’s words.

“You...are cannot looking well? Too dark?” It spoke softly, but directly as well.

Oh…

Agent 3 rubbed his eyes, unsure as to how to respond. It seemed to somehow understand that Agent 3 couldn’t see in this darkness. Yet, how exactly could that thing see him just fine!? 

The agent remained silent.  
...

Wait...it had hands just like me… 

Agent 3 thought to himself for a moment, pondering his options on whether to try and attack the creature again, or try and communicate with it.

Maybe it’s actually someone who works here! They can get me out!

…..

Agent 3 finally stood up straight and tried to reach out for the other.

“It’s uh- way too dark for me to see here... Do you know the way to the train station…?” Agent 3 spoke, putting his hand behind his head. The other seemed to process his words again slowly but surely, staring at the agent. 

“Ah, train. Yes, we go there!” It spoke almost with a cheer in its voice.

It grabbed Agent 3’s hand right away once more. Agent 3 winced at the feeling of someone else holding his hand, but if it meant getting himself out of this place, then so be it.

He wasn’t fond of others really _touching_ him. Agent 3 was _the_ tough guy after all, he hardly had the time to allow others to even sit near him. It's not like they wanted to be close to him either, though.

But...just this once, Agent 3 thought.

He gripped softly as the others’ hand and noticed these almost..nails poking into his palm. He began walking with the creature, and stood close by him. It was almost as if the creature was advocating to stay within centimeters of the agent… because he was much too close for Agent 3’s own comfort.

However, somehow, to Agent 3 the feeling of someone near instead of being entirely alone in the pitch black hall felt so much better. It was something he hadn’t even considered. 

_...Why is this dude even helping me?_

It wasn’t exactly like Agent 3 was sitting there crying out for help… But it did seem kind of strange that some inkling in a cape was just hanging around a pitch black hallway. 

As the two marched down the hallway, Agent 3 turned and followed the sound that his newfound acquaintance's metal footsteps made. With each turn, the creature would squeeze Agent 3’s hand in an almost caring manner, just to make sure that Agent 3 understood where they were going.

Finally, they turned the final corner and before Agent 3 knew it, we saw a dim light sitting quite far away from them down the hall. Agent 3’s eyes dilated slightly at the sudden illumination reaching his eyes. However, once he realized that he had finally made it, his eyes lit up.

That’s it! Finally! I’m actually going to crush that old man for leaving me down here.

Agent 3 celebrated silently to himself as he felt his blood rush again. 

They continued to walk down the cold hallway, and as they marched the echoes of the oncoming train became more and more apparent to the two. The train shook the ground below them as it passed by, causing Agent 3’s legs to wobble slightly, while his acquaintance seemingly remained stable.

The sight of finally seeing some sort of light at the end of this endless tunnel was making Agent 3 ecstatic, he wanted to make a run for it right then and there and bask in his own ability to see his own feet once more. 

However…

A part of the young agent wanted to wait; he wanted to wait just a little while to get a glimpse at the strange identity holding his hand so dearly.

Suddenly remembering that his hand was being led still, he gently pulled his hand away as he positioned himself to walk beside the creature. In his movements, he accidentally bumped into them, causing Agent 3 to lose sight of which direction he was facing again. He looked around himself for the end of the tunnel, but he couldn’t quite catch where the creature was; nor could he make sight of the light.

“O-oh shit! Sorry man… where are you?” Agent 3 spoke out.

He reached out his hands blindly in hopes to find answers to his question. 

“I am being right here.”

Agent 3 felt a hand grip his arm. The sudden touch caused Agent 3 to flinch again.

_What’s with this guy?! You don’t just grab somebody…_

Despite Agent 3 despising the grabbiness of the other, he allowed it to happen for the sake of his journey to the train. Since this thing was basically his only hope of actually getting out of there, he decided it would be best not to protest.

“Ah...thanks.” Agent 3 responded, beginning to walk again.

The two continued to walk together towards the light at the end of the hall.

As they inched closer and closer to the end...more and more light began to illuminate the hall itself, but it was still much too dark for Agent 3 to tell who he was holding on to.

As Agent 3 spotted the oncoming train and quickly ripped away from the other’s hand. He had to make the next stop as soon as possible! Or else he’d be left waiting for the next one for who knows how long.

He quickly sprinted to the very end of the hall and emerged into the station.

The train had been stopped at the station, and otherworldly deep-sea creatures were boarding the train as fast as they could. The masses clogged the train entrance, making it nearly impossible for the agent to make his way in. 

Despite Agent 3’s efforts to push his way into the train, the door closed on him, catching his sweater around his arm. 

Agent 3 pulled his caught sweater out of the door and recoiled backwards as the train started back up. 

He had _just_ missed the train!

Agent 3 grunted and pulled his headset up to his pointed ears.

“Fuck! I missed it!” Agent 3 groaned, staring at the moving train.

“Ugh...Why do I even try...All this trouble to go see that octopus.”

“I bet he’s horrified of me anyways so what’s the point!” Agent 3 kicked a piece of broken glass on the floor, which fell off of the station floor and onto the tracks.

_At least it's less entirely pitch black here…_

....

“It may become okay, fwee-go?”

A voice came from directly behind Agent 3. 

The inkling whipped himself around, suddenly remembering the sole reason he even made it to the station! 

He completely forgot about the guy that actually found him.

Agent 3 flushed with embarrassment as he turned around with his head facing the floor.

“Oh, hey...thanks man, you really helped me ou…”

Agent 3 trailed off as he looked upwards to get a first glance at the strange creature who helped him.

However, as he moved his gaze higher upon the figure standing before him, his face quickly twisted into shock.

…

“Train come back in... few times?” 

Agent 3 covered his mouth, unsure what to say.

A large red tentacle hung over the face of the pale figure’s face as he stared at Agent 3 intently. Agent 3 took a small step backwards, causing a slight echo from behind.

Agent 8 blinked, staring at the inkling before him. Agent 3 was visibly choking on any words he was thinking of, and the cold sweats began to settle on his forehead. 

That octopus… Was the guy leading me out of here?! I held his fucking hand! That’s…

“Uhm...“ Agent 3 tried to speak, but he was too caught in his own embarrassment and shock in the moment. He quickly turned the other way, as to not make eye contact with the male octoling who was just feet away from him. Agent 3 could feel his old instincts creep up on him quietly. Seeing the octopus holding his Octo Shot so firmly… it set something off deeper within Agent 3

He had spent his teenage years fighting tooth and nail against these creatures, and who stood before him was the only octoling he could not kill; and he had just spent the last hour holding onto his hand for dear life through the dark.

Agent 8 took a step closer to account for the step back Agent 3 had just taken. The octoling straightened his back and squared his shoulders as if he was speaking to his general. 

“Train...come...soon.” Agent 8 said, darting his eyes between words. Agent 3 cringed hearing the octoling speak in pure broken Inklish. How could his captain even become close to someone who could hardly speak his own language?!

Agent 3 held back his easily frustrated temper as he turned back silently to face the train tracks.

The train was coming back now, and it's loud roaring filled the entire metro. As the train made it's stop next to the two agents, Agent 3 began to step forward to walk through the trains sliding automatic doors. Agent 3 looked back to face Agent 8 directly.

“Get on, the captain will be waiting for us.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank u 4 reading.


End file.
